Incivility in the workplace: incidence and impact

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Workplace Behavior
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Workplace mistreatment, including incivility, is a significant issue impacting employee well-being.
• Understanding the dynamics of incivility is crucial for fostering healthier work environments.
• Previous research has explored workplace aggression, but incivility warrants specific attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence, sources, and consequences of workplace incivility.
• To analyze the differential impact of incivility on various employee groups.
• To examine the relationship between incivility and psychological/physical health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 1,180 public-sector employees.
• Analysis of reported experiences of incivility over the past five years.
• Examination of instigators, targets, and self-reported effects of incivility.

Main Results:

• 71% of employees reported experiencing workplace incivility.
• A significant portion of incivility was instigated by powerful individuals.
• Women experienced incivility more frequently than men, with similar negative effects on job satisfaction, withdrawal, and career salience for both genders.
• Incivility correlated with increased psychological distress but not significant physical health changes.

Conclusions:

• Workplace incivility is widespread and perpetrated by individuals at all levels.
• Incivility negatively affects job attitudes and career perceptions across genders.
• While psychological distress is linked to incivility, physical health appears more resilient.